two poets-第24章

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al　life；　and　weary　of　the　sordid　frugality　that　looked　on　a　five…franc　piece　as　a　fortune；　but　he　bore　the　hardships　and　the　pinching　thrift　without　grumbling。　His　moody　looks　had　been　succeeded　by　an　expression　of　radiant　hope。　He　saw　the　star　shining　above　his　head；　he　had　dreams　of　a　great　time　to　come；　and　built　the　fabric　of　his　good　fortune　on　M。　de　Bargeton's　tomb。　M。　de　Bargeton；　troubled　with　indigestion　from　time　to　time；　cherished　the　happy　delusion　that　indigestion　after　dinner　was　a　complaint　to　be　cured　by　a　hearty　supper。

By　the　beginning　of　September；　Lucien　had　ceased　to　be　a　printer's　foreman；　he　was　M。　de　Rubempre；　housed　sumptuously　in　comparison　with　his　late　quarters　in　the　tumbledown　attic　with　the　dormer…window；　where　〃young　Chardon〃　had　lived　in　L'Houmeau；　he　was　not　even　a　〃man　of　L'Houmeau〃；　he　lived　in　the　heights　of　Angouleme；　and　dined　four　times　a　week　with　Mme。　de　Bargeton。　A　friendship　had　grown　up　between　M。　de　Rubempre　and　the　Bishop；　and　he　went　to　the　palace。　His　occupations　put　him　upon　a　level　with　the　highest　rank；　his　name　would　be　one　day　among　the　great　names　of　France；　and；　in　truth；　as　he　went　to　and　fro　in　his　apartments；　the　pretty　sitting…room；　the　charming　bedroom；　and　the　tastefully　furnished　study；　he　might　console　himself　for　the　thought　that　he　drew　thirty　francs　every　month　out　of　his　mother's　and　sister's　hard　earnings；　for　he　saw　the　day　approaching　when　An　Archer　of　Charles　IX。；　the　historical　romance　on　which　he　had　been　at　work　for　two　years；　and　a　volume　of　verse　entitled　Marguerites；　should　spread　his　fame　through　the　world　of　literature；　and　bring　in　money　enough　to　repay　them　all；　his　mother　and　sister　and　David。　So；　grown　great　in　his　own　eyes；　and　giving　ear　to　the　echoes　of　his　name　in　the　future；　he　could　accept　present　sacrifices　with　noble　assurance；　he　smiled　at　his　poverty；　he　relished　the　sense　of　these　last　days　of　penury。

Eve　and　David　had　set　Lucien's　happiness　before　their　own。　They　had　put　off　their　wedding；　for　it　took　some　time　to　paper　and　paint　their　rooms；　and　to　buy　the　furniture；　and　Lucien's　affairs　had　been　settled　first。　No　one　who　knew　Lucien　could　wonder　at　their　devotion。　Lucien　was　so　engaging；　he　had　such　winning　ways；　his　impatience　and　his　desires　were　so　graciously　expressed；　that　his　cause　was　always　won　before　he　opened　his　mouth　to　speak。　This　unlucky　gift　of　fortune；　if　it　is　the　salvation　of　some；　is　the　ruin　of　many　more。　Lucien　and　his　like　find　a　world　predisposed　in　favor　of　youth　and　good　looks；　and　ready　to　protect　those　who　give　it　pleasure　with　the　selfish　good…　nature　that　flings　alms　to　a　beggar；　if　he　appeals　to　the　feelings　and　awakens　emotion；　and　in　this　favor　many　a　grown　child　is　content　to　bask　instead　of　putting　it　to　a　profitable　use。　With　mistaken　notions　as　to　the　significance　and　the　motive　of　social　relations　they　imagine　that　they　shall　always　meet　with　deceptive　smiles；　and　so　at　last　the　moment　comes　for　them　when　the　world　leaves　them　bald；　stripped　bare；　without　fortune　or　worth；　like　an　elderly　coquette　by　the　door　of　a　salon；　or　a　stray　rag　in　the　gutter。

Eve　herself　had　wished　for　the　delay。　She　meant　to　establish　the　little　household　on　the　most　economical　footing；　and　to　buy　only　strict　necessaries；　but　what　could　two　lovers　refuse　to　a　brother　who　watched　his　sister　at　her　work；　and　said　in　tones　that　came　from　the　heart；　〃How　I　wish　I　could　sew！〃　The　sober；　observant　David　had　shared　in　the　devotion；　and　yet；　since　Lucien's　triumph；　David　had　watched　him　with　misgivings；　he　was　afraid　that　Lucien　would　change　towards　them；　afraid　that　he　would　look　down　upon　their　homely　ways。　Once　or　twice；　to　try　his　brother；　David　had　made　him　choose　between　home　pleasures　and　the　great　world；　and　saw　that　Lucien　gave　up　the　delights　of　vanity　for　them；　and　exclaimed　to　himself；　〃They　will　not　spoil　him　for　us！〃　Now　and　again　the　three　friends　and　Mme。　Chardon　arranged　picnic　parties　in　provincial　fashiona　walk　in　the　woods　along　the　Charente；　not　far　from　Angouleme；　and　dinner　out　on　the　grass；　David's　apprentice　bringing　the　basket　of　provisions　to　some　place　appointed　before…hand；　and　at　night　they　would　come　back；　tired　somewhat；　but　the　whole　excursion　had　not　cost　three　francs。　On　great　occasion；　when　they　dined　at　a　restaurat；　as　it　is　called；　a　sort　of　a　country　inn；　a　compromise　between　a　provincial　wineshop　and　a　Parisian　guinguette；　they　would　spend　as　much　as　five　francs；　divided　between　David　and　the　Chardons。　David　gave　his　brother　infinite　credit　for　forsaking　Mme。　de　Bargeton　and　grand　dinners　for　these　days　in　the　country；　and　the　whole　party　made　much　of　the　great　man　of　Angouleme。

Matters　had　gone　so　far；　that　the　new　home　was　very　nearly　ready；　and　David　had　gone　over　to　Marsac　to　persuade　his　father　to　come　to　the　wedding；　not　without　a　hope　that　the　old　man　might　relent　at　the　sight　of　his　daughter…in…law；　and　give　something　towards　the　heavy　expenses　of　the　alterations；　when　there　befell　one　of　those　events　which　entirely　change　the　face　of　things　in　a　small　town。

Lucien　and　Louise　had　a　spy　in　Chatelet；　a　spy　who　watched；　with　the　persistence　of　a　hate　in　which　avarice　and　passion　are　blended；　for　an　opportunity　of　making　a　scandal。　Sixte　meant　that　Mme。　de　Bargeton　should　compromise　herself　with　Lucien　in　such　a　way　that　she　should　be　〃lost；〃　as　the　saying　goes；　so　he　posed　as　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　humble　confidant；　admired　Lucien　in　the　Rue　du　Minage；　and　pulled　him　to　pieces　everywhere　else。　Nais　had　gradually　given　him　les　petites　entrees；　in　the　language　of　the　court；　for　the　lady　no　longer　mistrusted　her　elderly　admirer；　but　Chatelet　had　taken　too　much　for　grantedlove　was　still　in　the　Platonic　stage；　to　the　great　despair　of　Louise　and　Lucien。

There　are；　for　that　matter；　love　affairs　which　start　with　a　good　or　a　bad　beginning；　as　you　prefer　to　take　it。　Two　creatures　launch　into　the　tactics　of　sentiment；　they　talk　when　they　should　be　acting；　and　skirmish　in　the　open　instead　of　settling　down　to　a　siege。　And　so　they　grow　tired　of　one　another；　expend　their　longings　in　empty　space；　and；　having　time　for　reflection；　come　to　their　own　conclusions　about　each　other。　Many　a　passion　that　has　taken　the　field　in　gorgeous　array；　with　colors　flying　and　an　ardor　fit　to　turn　the　world　upside　down；　has　turned　home　again　without　a　victory；　inglorious　and　crestfallen；　cutting　but　a　foolish　figure　after　these　vain　alarums　and　excursions。　Such　mishaps　are　sometimes　due　to　the　diffidence　of　youth；　sometimes　to　the　demurs　of　an　inexperienced　woman；　for　old　players　at　this　game　seldom　end　in　a　fiasco　of　this　kind。

Provincial　life；　moreover；　is　singularly　well　calculated　to　keep　desire　unsatisfied　and　maintain　a　lover's　arguments　on　the　intellectual　plane；　while；　at　the　same　time；　the　very　obstacles　placed　in　the　way　of　the　sweet　intercourse　which　binds　lovers　so　closely　each　to　each；　hurry　ardent　souls　on　towards　extreme　measures。　A　system　of　espionage　of　the　most　minute　and　intricate　kind　underlies　provincial　life；　every　house　is　transparent；　the　solace　of　close　friendships　which　break　no　moral　law　is　scarcely　allowed；　and　such　outrageously　scandalous　constructions　are　put　upon　the　most　innocent　human　intercourse；　that　many　a　woman's　character　is　taken　away　without　cause。　One　here　and　there；　weighed　down　by　her　unmerited　punishment；　will　regret　that　she　has　never　known　to　the　full　the　forbidden　felicity　for　which　she　is　suffering。　The　world；　which　blames　and　criticises　with　a　superficial　knowledge　of　the　patent　facts　in　which　a　long　inward　struggle　ends；　is　in　reality　a　prime　agent　in　bringing　such　scandals　about；　and　those　whose　voices　are　loudest　in　condemnation　of　the　alleged　misconduct　of　some　slandered　woman　never　give　a　thought　to　the　immediate　provocation　of　the　overt　step。　That　step　many　a　woman　only　takes　after　she　has　been　unjustly　accused　and　condemned；　and　Mme。　de　Bargeton　was　now　on　the　verge　of　this　anomalous　position。

The　obstacles　at　the　outset　of　a　passion　of　this　kind　are　alarming　to　inexperience；　and　those　in　the　way　of　the　two　lovers　were　very　like　the　bonds　by　which　the　population　of　Lilliput　throttled　Gulliver；　a　multiplicity　of　nothings；　which　made　all　movement　impossible；　and　baffle　the　most　vehement　desires。　Mme。　de　Bargeton；　for　instance；　must　always　be　visible。　If　she　had　denied　herself　to　visitors　when　Lucien　was　with　her；　it　would　have　been　all　over　with　her；　she　might　as　well　have　run　away　with　him　at　once。　It　is　true　that　they　sat　in　the　boudoir；　now　grown　so　familiar　to　Lucien　that　he　felt　as　if　he　had　a　right　to　be　there；　but　the　doors　stood　scrupulously　open；　and　everything　was　arranged　with　the　utmost　propriety。　M。　de　Bargeton　pervaded　the　house　like　a　cockchafer；　it　never　entered　his　head　that　his　wife　could　wish　to　be　alone　with　Lucien。　If　he　had　been　the　only　person　in　the　way；　Nais　could　have　got　rid　of　him；　sent　him　out　of　the　house；　or　given　him　something　to　do；　but　he　was　not　the　only　one；　visitors　flocked　in　upon　her；　and　so　much　the　more　as　curiosity　increased；　for　your　provincial　has　a　natural　bent　for　teasing；　and　delights　to　thwart　a　growing　passion。　The　servants　came　and　went　about　the　house　promiscuously　and　without　a　summons；　they　had　formed　the　habits　with　a　mistress　who　had　nothing　to　conceal；　any　change　now　made　in　her　household　ways　was　tantamount　to　a　confession；　and　Angouleme　still　hung　in　doubt。

Mme。　de　Bargeton　could　not　set　foot　outside　her　house　but　the　whole　town　knew　whither　she　was　going。　To　take　a　walk　alone　with　Lucien　out　of　Angouleme　would　have　been　a　decided　measure；　indeed；　it　would　have　been　less　dangerous　to　shut　herself　up　with　him　in　the　house。　There　would　have　been　comments　the　next　day　if　Lucien　had　stayed　on　till　midnight　after　the　rooms　were　emptied。　Within　as　without　her　house；　Mme。　de　Bargeton　lived　in　public。

These　details　describe　life　in　the　provinces；　an　intrigue　is　either　openly　avoided　or　impossible　anywhere。

Like　all　women　carried　away　for　the　first　time　by　passion；　Louise　discovered　the　difficulties　of　her　position　one　by　one。　They　frightened　her；　and　her　terror　reacted　upon　the　fond　talk　that　fills　the　fairest　hours　which　lovers　spend　alone　together。　Mme。　de　Bargeton　had　no　country　house　whither　she　could　take　her　beloved　poet；　after　the　manner　of　some　women　who　will　forge　ingenious　pretexts　for　burying　themselves　in　the　wilderness；　but；　weary　of　living　in　public；　and　pushed　to　extremities　by　a　tyranny　which　afforded　no　pleasures　sweet　enough　to　compensate　for　the　heaviness　of　the　yoke；　she　even　thought　of　Escarbas；　and　of　going　to　see　her　aged　fatherso　much　irritated　was　she　by　these　paltry　obstacles。

Chatelet　did　not　believe　in　such　innocence。　He　lay　in　wait；　and　watched　Lucien　into　the　house；　and　followed　a　few　minutes　later；　always　taking　M。　de　Chandour；　the　most　indiscreet　person　in　the　clique；　along　with　him；　and；　putting　that　gentleman　first；　hoped　to　find　a　surprise　by　such　perseverance　in　pursuit　of　the　chance。　His　own　part　was　a　very　difficult　one　to　play；　and　its　success　was　the　more　doubtful　because　he　was　bound　to　appear　neutral　if　he　was　to　prompt　the　other　actors　who　were　to　play　in　his　drama。　So；　to　give　himself　a　countenance；　he　had　attached　himself　to　the　jealous　Amelie；　the　better　to　lu